A parent of a fifth grader at Brookshire Elementary School in Winter Park was initially told she could not pick up her daughter, who was opting out of the state's new writing test, according to another parent who witnessed the incident this morning. That other parent said she called police.

Jacqui Myers of Winter Park -- a Brookshire parent active in the local opt-out movement -- said the fifth grader's mother came outside and told her, "They're not giving me my child, can you help?"

The school did not want to release the child initially because when her mother arrived students had been testing for 20 minutes and were in the middle of writing essays, said Shari Bobinski, a district spokesman. The principal explained her concern to the mother, she added.

Myers, who has a first grader at the school, said she was outside the school to provide support to parents who were having their children refuse to take the writing section of the new Florida Standards Assessments.

When it comes to rallying the masses, it helps when your student body is one of the largest in the country.

The University of Central Florida was recently named the winner of a social media contest to bring Grammy-nominated singer Ed Sheeran to campus.

Sheeran, a 24-year-old British performer known for his song "Thinking Out Loud," is likely to come to Orlando on May 4, a spokesperson said Monday evening.

"During his visit, Mr. Sheeran will host an intimate master music class, share stories and life lessons from his career, perform a live acoustic set, and explain the creative process behind his songs," a news release said.

UCF beat out more than 8,000 high schools and colleges for the prize, which also includes a $10,000 grant to the university's music school.

"In just one month, nearly a quarter of a million votes were cast – over 225,000 – by students representing 8,219 schools. Overall, the campaign generated a total of 65 million social media impression," the news release said.

Florida's debut of its new standardized test was marred by delays Monday caused by computer glitches. (Video by FOX35)

Florida's debut of its new standardized test was marred by delays Monday caused by computer glitches. (Video by FOX35)

Florida's debut of its new standardized tested was marred by delays Monday caused by a "software issue," Education Commissioner Pam Stewart told school superintendents in an email this morning. The state's testing contractor has worked to correct the problem and school districts can resume testing today, Stewart said.

Central Florida school districts were among those statewide who reported students could not take the writing section of the Florida Standards Assessments, as planned, because schools could not log into the state's testing system. Students in grades 8 to 10 are to take the FSA writing test on computers.

The contractor, American Institutes for Research, or AIR, ran a "load test" Monday night that showed "improved performance" because of the software changes it made after the problems cropped up, Stewart said.

The company reported that Monday of the 69,177 online tests attempted Monday all but about 1,400 were completed, Stewart said.

Some schools struggled to administer Florida's new standardized writing test because of trouble logging into the system. (Video from Fox 35)

Some schools struggled to administer Florida's new standardized writing test because of trouble logging into the system. (Video from Fox 35)

The Lake, Orange, Seminole and Volusia county school districts are among several across Florida reporting problems with Florida's new computer-based exams this morning.

Florida students in grades 8 to 10 were scheduled to take a writing test online today but technology problems cropped up, as the Florida Standards Assessments, or FSA, debuted, officials said.

The FSA includes computer-based exams for older students and paper-and-pencil versions for younger ones. The computer exams were to be given today in many districts.

"While many students across our state are testing successfully, we have heard from some districts that are experiencing difficulties," said Meghan Collins, a spokesman for the Florida Department of Education. "This is a 90-minute test; students have a two-week window, plus a makeup window, to complete the test."

Education Commissioner Pam Stewart, Collins said, "is looking into any reported issues to determine the cause and will work to immediately resolve it."

Somebody drove Ryan McKinney's white 1997 Honda Civic to the top floor in Garage E and stole his audio system and engine parts as well as damaged his interior, according to McKinney. The theft occurred sometime between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. on the first day of the spring 2015 semester in mid-January, McKinney reported.

McKinney, 19, a freshman from Orlando who is studying business, created the petition on Change.org, asking for more cameras to be installed in each level in the parking garages.

"I'm asking for an investment into student safety and peace of mind," he wrote in the petition.

UCF spokesperson Courtney Gilmartin said the parking garages have cameras at the enter and exit points.

"We’re always open to technology or other solutions that could enhance our safety efforts, but when it comes to...

Eleven people were tapped today to serve on Florida's new "Keep Florida Learning Committee," which will look at four key education issues. More than 2,800 had applied.

The new panel's marching orders are to study: "deregulation opportunities," how districts adopt textbooks and other instructional materials, how to improve parental involvement in schools and how implementation of Florida's new academic standards and new tests proceeds during the next year.

Education Commissioner Pam Stewart, who will serve on the new panel Gov. Rick Scott requested, today announced the other members. They include an Orange County teacher, a parent active in the anti-Common Core efforts in Florida, a state lawmaker, a superintendent and a school principal.

The group's meetings are to be public, and those who want to send them comments on state education issues can do so here. The first meeting is to be next month.